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by Angie the Wolfos
Summary: 1st installment of the 'My life as a Female Ranger' Series.Please dont flame.


YOOOOO!!!! 

Well...This is going to be the first installment in a series of ficclets i plan to do basic on the AWESOME SERIES...RANGER APPRENTICE!!! -fanfare- So yeah...That's it i guess...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Soriyu...and my wooden sword...and this sad plot bunny.

Warning: This Fic has no point. It was merely written to give me something to do over two days of Winter break...Sooo don't expect Shakespeare or anything here Kay?

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Soriyu gasped as she dodged yet another swing aimed toward her head. 

"Come on! It's no fun if you dodge all the time!" her opponent called out laughing. Her light green and gray clothes were drenched with sweat as she twirled her Saxe knife and throwing knife in a complicated motion, blocking the long sword. "Good!" The rain of blows became faster and more complex as she began struggling to block…and then proceeded to fall back wards over a protruding tree root. A split-second later a sword's deadly edge was against her stomach ready to cleave her in two. A moment later it was removed and a calloused hand was extended to help her up. " Geez Gilan how do you do that?" she gasped as she sheathed her knives. Sori's master grinned cheekily at her, "Practice….lots of practice." He spoke causing his apprentice to groan. He glanced at the sun, "Come, it's time we left for the gatheri-" "-You mean to try and get Halt off his guard again don't you?" she interrupted grinning. " Fine fine…if you want to look at it that way, yes." He sighed in annoyance but his gray eyes held humor. Her mentor strode back to the cabin and began gathering the supplies they would need.

The young ranger retrieved her slim recurve bow from a tree along with it's quiver of arrows. Excitement and worry coursed through her. This was to be her second Ranger gathering, not only would all fifty Rangers be there, but this would also be the time when she was tested to see if she could continue on to the next and last level of training. Still deep within her thoughts she walked over to her light chestnut coated horse, Gavin. He snorted quietly at her approach but calmed instantly as she whispered, "Hey, Little Hawk." Intelligent liquid brown eyes watched as she tied her possessions to the saddle and swung herself up. Gilan rode up next to her, "Ready?" She nodded; sure she was ready physically, but emotionally?

The pair traveled eastward for several days until; at last the refreshing smell of salt filled the crisp air. Sori glanced over casually as her mentor quirked two fingers. Without another word she trotted off the road and into the thick bracken as Gilan went the opposite way. Gavin's ears twisted backward in a silent signal to his rider. With almost no noise at all, she bent down to murmur instructions into her steed's ear and then dismounted. Her mottled gray and green cloak made her practically invisible in the dense flora. Still ever silent she swung herself up into the nearest tree and began to scale the branches until she was near the road once again. Bow drawn and ready she nocked an arrow and waited. Her gray green eyes scanned the surrounding treetops, nothing moved, yet she knew her mentor was up there, waiting silently, just like her.

And then, what they were waiting ever so silently for appeared. Two cloaked figures, features shadowed in the deep cowls, trotted by. Soriyu drew back her bow and aimed only to freeze as she felt the cool kiss of twin knives against her neck. An arrogant, yet familiar, voice rang out behind her,

"Drop it Missy"

She froze for a moment and then as fast as lightning whirled around and drew her own Saxe knife to block his two. "Nice to see you again to, Will" she grinned. The pressure on the blades lessened and then disappeared as their owners returned them to their sheathe and climbed down the tree. Their teachers were already at the bottom waiting calmly for them. Well, Halt was calm…Gilan was sulking but his eyes crinkled in a familiar smile. "I blame you for not thinking this one up Gilan!" Sori teased. The night before, the two of them had discussed what to do in every situation that Halt and Will would do. And attempted to counter them, except of course, this one. Gilan only shook his head as he and Halt mounted their own horses. The two apprentices followed behind their mentors chatting about their lives since the last gathering.

" So Missy, how've you been?"

"Will you stop calling me that?!?!" she growled back. He grinned in response, " No can do, you're the only female Ranger so deal with it. Besides, it fits you" Sori glared hotly at him," Oh does it now?"

"I rest my case."

She sighed and shook her head in mock defeat, "So how's old Halt been?"

"I heard that Missy!" Halt called out not bothering to look back.

" Gah! Not you too!" she pouted but then smiled all the same as she waited for her friend's response. He thought for a moment as the group continued forward on the dirt path. He told her of the training and adventures he and Halt had been on, as she listened with rapt fascination.

As the two apprentices happily chattered in the back, Halt and Gilan rode next to each other in tacit. Surprisingly Halt's gruff voice broke the silence, " So how is Soriyu's training coming?" Gilan blinked in surprise and struggled to keep his mouth hinged, was his old mentor actually expressing _curiosity_? "Stop gawking and answer the question Gilan." The younger man smirked, that was the Halt he knew. " She is showing great promise, although I think she feels lonely being the only girl in the Corps. Spending time with others her age seems to help a lot though." He finished and glanced over his shoulder in time to see his apprentice laugh, truly laugh, her eyes glowing happily.

" We're here."

Soriyu broke away from the conversation and turned her viridian gaze onto the multitude of tents

She was home, truly home.

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Please don't flame...but even pointless reviews make me happiful :3 


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